Posted tagged ‘Cleveland Browns’

It was announced this morning that the Cleveland Browns have traded wide receiver Braylon Edwards to the New York Jets for wide receiver Chansi Stuckey, linebacker Jason Trusnik and undisclosed draft choices.

Edwards, in his fifth season, has 10 receptions for 139 yards but was held to no catches for the first time in his career in the winless Browns’ 23-20 overtime loss to Cincinnati on Sunday. His best season came in 2006, when he had 80 catches for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns.

The former first-round pick out of Michigan comes with his share of off-field issues. The NFL is investigating whether he violated the league’s conduct policy following accusations he assaulted a man outside a nightclub. Cleveland police are also looking into the incident.

The Jets, off to a 3-1 start, had been looking to replace Laveranues Coles in the starting lineup after allowing him to become a free agent in the offseason. They were looking into former Giants star Plaxico Burress’ legal status before the draft, and the Jets were mentioned in possible trade talks with Denver’s Brandon Marshall.

He was about to put it on and raise his fist in the style of Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who made controversial black power salutes at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.

Slot receiver Brandon Stokley rushed to him in the back of the end zone and persuaded him to nix the salute because the Broncos couldn’t afford a 15-yard celebration penalty at that moment.

“That’s what a good, old veteran is for,” Marshall said.

After the game, Marshall, who is black, read a statement he wrote about how inspired he was by Obama becoming the first black man elected to the nation’s highest office.

“Barak Obama’s election as the 44th president of the United States is a tremendous symbol of unity,” Marshall said. “I want to create that symbol of unity because Obama inspires me (and) a multicultural society, and I know at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico, Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised that black glove and fist in a silent gesture of black power and liberation.